Images
February 15, 2026 - Winter Haze in Bangladesh and India
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Thick haze hung over northeastern India and Bangladesh in mid-February 2026. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of the region on February 13.
On that date, thick gray haze stretched from the foot of the Himalayas southward to cross over the Bay of Bengal. It also crept into the valleys of the Himalayas, especially in the east where haze covered most of the southern slopes. In the far west (left) of this image, several plumes of smoke indicate active fires on the Himalayan slopes. It appears that the smoky haze also rises above the snow-capped peaks and spreads over the edge of the Tibetan Plateau near the fires. This is an unusual sight because the tall Himalayas usually form a firm boundary that keeps the haze south.
Haze frequently occurs in northern India and Bangladesh, especially in the winter. The haze itself is the result of a complicated mixture of pollutants, including smoke from agricultural fires, automobile exhaust, coal-fired industries, and coal used to heat homes, just to mention a few. Tiny particles suspended in the air (aerosols) reflect light in various directions and, when aerosols are heavy, these optical properties result in gray haze.
In the winter, the region is subject to temperature inversions, which trap haze and pollution close to the ground and allowing it to accumulate rather than spread out and blow away. An inversion occurs when a layer of warm air extends over cooler air and acts like a lid to hold the cooler air in place. Inversions can be very long-lasting, especially in this region in cold weather. Terra MODIS images show that some haze has been present in this location every day for at least the last 42 days.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 2/13/2026
Resolutions:
1km (539.6 KB), 500m (1.3 MB), 250m (2 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Thick haze hung over northeastern India and Bangladesh in mid-February 2026. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of the region on February 13.
On that date, thick gray haze stretched from the foot of the Himalayas southward to cross over the Bay of Bengal. It also crept into the valleys of the Himalayas, especially in the east where haze covered most of the southern slopes. In the far west (left) of this image, several plumes of smoke indicate active fires on the Himalayan slopes. It appears that the smoky haze also rises above the snow-capped peaks and spreads over the edge of the Tibetan Plateau near the fires. This is an unusual sight because the tall Himalayas usually form a firm boundary that keeps the haze south.
Haze frequently occurs in northern India and Bangladesh, especially in the winter. The haze itself is the result of a complicated mixture of pollutants, including smoke from agricultural fires, automobile exhaust, coal-fired industries, and coal used to heat homes, just to mention a few. Tiny particles suspended in the air (aerosols) reflect light in various directions and, when aerosols are heavy, these optical properties result in gray haze.
In the winter, the region is subject to temperature inversions, which trap haze and pollution close to the ground and allowing it to accumulate rather than spread out and blow away. An inversion occurs when a layer of warm air extends over cooler air and acts like a lid to hold the cooler air in place. Inversions can be very long-lasting, especially in this region in cold weather. Terra MODIS images show that some haze has been present in this location every day for at least the last 42 days.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 2/13/2026
Resolutions:
1km (539.6 KB), 500m (1.3 MB), 250m (2 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
